American Zombie Detective

"NOW!!!"

Qingqiu's eyes flashed, and he no longer held back his long whip!

The whip's shadow instantly expanded, transforming into dozens of white, bony snakes that fiercely coiled around Marduk's massive body, trapping him tightly.

Marduk felt an unprecedented threat of death; the excruciating pain and fear made him want to run away!

Its remaining left arm frantically tore at the snake-bone whip on its body, sulfurous flames erupting as it tried to break free!

"Trying to run away?!"

Qin Jin reappeared before Marduk. Although his ribs were covered by a membrane, the flesh still wriggling and growing was visible, but he couldn't care less now—

He began running rapidly around the enormous body, searching for a spot to strike!

At this moment, Constantine replenished his ammunition and aimed at Marduk's face again, especially his eyes, firing wildly.

Catherine did the same, raining bullets at his face, while Alessa rushed to the puppet's side and pulled out a second Gru Red Eagle from the zipper at the back.

Yes, she has more than one Gru Redhawk! Although this one isn't enchanted with Divine Power, it can still use rune bullets!

Soon, the roar of the Red Hawk of Gru resounded again, though Willie's voice was much weaker.

Marduk struggled frantically, and the snake-bone whip of Qingqiu groaned under its terrifying brute force, cracking as it began to break!

Just as the chains were about to break!

Finally, a bullet seized an opening and struck Marduk squarely in the face!

puff! ! !

The burning sulfur eyeballs were instantly shattered, leaving only two terrifying bloody holes emitting black smoke.

Facing the blind demon lord, Qin Jin instantly closed the distance and leaped into the air!

The flash of the blade was like thunderous judgment, or justice descending from the heavens!

Basmo Armor M precisely slashed into the weak spot on the side of Marduk's neck. This spot had been repeatedly bombarded, its protective scales blown off, and even the skin was cracking, now scalding with burning blood...

"Pfft—!!!"

The blade slices into flesh and blood, cuts through tendons and muscles, and severs the neck bone!

The incredibly hard demon neck bone, under the combined attack of internal and external wounds and Marduk's panic from blindness, coupled with the full-force burst of Qin Jin's power, was finally completely severed!

Marduk's enormous head crashed to the ground, and then its massive body lunged forward!

As flames and blood gushed from its neck, a huge pentagram suddenly appeared centered on its body!

Hellfire began to burn along the pentagram, and then the pentagram began to collapse, forming a huge abyss entrance. Marduk's body and head fell down and returned to Hell!

Its head, detached from its body, suddenly opened its eyes as it fell, unleashing a roar of boundless hatred:

"You lowly scum! You think this is the end?! This body is merely a temporary vessel for me! Remember! Remember the name of Marduk! I will return! With the wrath of hell, I will reduce you... and this city to ashes! I swear!!!"

The roar was like an echo from the deepest hell, shaking the rocks in the canyon so much that they fell down in a rustling sound.

Immediately afterwards, the bluish-black flames of the inverted pentagram array suddenly shrank inward, quickly extinguishing like a receding tide.

All that remained on the ground was a huge, charred, twisted pentagram, emitting a pungent sulfurous smell and a chilling, malevolent aura.

The entrance to the canyon fell into a brief silence.

Qin Jin, carrying a machete, walked towards Qingqiu. Constanze and Catherine, who were not far away, immediately followed. However, he turned around and waved his hand, indicating that he was not going to fight and that they should stay.

When they got very close to Qingqiu, Qin Jin pulled his clothes up to cover his chest, which was not yet fully healed.

"You are not from Qingqiu!"

Qingqiu was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in her captivating phoenix eyes, which quickly turned into a playful smile:

"Oh? What makes you say that, Detective Qin?" Despite having just gone through a tough battle, she still tried her best to remain elegant.

"I've never met Qingqiu, but I've dealt with beings of her level. You—you're far weaker, and you lack her immense intimidating presence!"

The woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her laughter clear yet carrying a subtle, complex quality.

"If you're referring to that Qingqiu Patriarch, then I certainly am not."

She readily admitted this, then changed the subject: "However, the name Qingqiu doesn't belong to any one person. It's the name of the successive leaders of my Qingqiu Fox Clan. The previous Qingqiu was my mother."

At this point, her gaze suddenly wavered, as if she were lost in a brief recollection.

After a moment, she laughed self-deprecatingly, as if she had figured something out:

"That's right. I've been sealed within this painting for countless years. Qingqiu Mountain should have a new master, a new Qingqiu. So..." She looked up at Qin Jin, her gaze open and honest.

"You can call me Qingyin, that was my name before I became Qingqiu."

"Okay, Qingyin," Qin Jin nodded, and after confirming the issue, he raised another key point:

"Next, you can keep your promise, tell me the secret of the Seven Star Suppressing Evil Diagram, and then leave Los Angeles."

"I can tell you the secret, but—" Qingyin gently stroked her flat stomach, her eyes filled with a complex emotion:

"I can't leave right now..."

"Hmm?" Qin Jin frowned, his gaze returning to Qingyin:

"Is this an attempt to... break the contract?"

"No, I will keep my promise and not cause trouble in Los Angeles. Actually, I have enough," Qingyin shook her head. "I need to stay here for the time being."

"I don't quite understand," Qin Jin didn't give Qingyin much face. Since she wasn't from ancient Qingqiu, she naturally had nothing to fear.

"Why do you insist on staying here? Even if... you no longer need a man, there's no need for you to stay, is there?"

Qingyin raised her eyes, her tone calm yet earth-shattering: "Because I'm unexpectedly pregnant!"

"Pregnant?!" Even Qin Jin, who had experienced many hardships, was shocked by this sudden news.

Fox spirits, who are most skilled in the art of sexual exploitation, it's their innate instinct, yet they still managed to cause such an accident?

A hint of annoyance and confusion appeared on Qingyin's face:

"A few months ago, I broke free from the seal and encountered a special mortal man. The power within him seemed very strange, and it could completely resist my attempts to drain his energy. But in just one night..."

She frowned, looking quite pitiful: "I got pregnant, and that man disappeared without a trace."

Mortals? Strange powers? Resisting sexual exploitation... What kind of fantasy is this?

Qin Jin suddenly remembered something:

"Is Marduk pursuing you related to this unexpected pregnancy?"

"I'm not quite sure," Qingyin shook her head.

"I've been traveling all the way from Detroit and have already encountered it twice. This is the third time—but I didn't expect that the demon that appeared this time, the one you mentioned, Marduk, would be so powerful. It's much weaker than the ones before."

"This is a demon lord, and his strength is different." Qin Jin nodded. Although he didn't know why he was being chased, he now understood Qingyin's current situation.

"I want to stay here and give birth to him," Qingyin said, looking at Qin Jin with a pleading look in her eyes.

"I will tell you the secret of the painting, and I will keep our promise. I only hope... that you will help me just once if I'm truly in danger!"

She paused, then added:

"Of course, if I need help after giving birth, I'll help you too..." She looked at Qin Jin:

"We all escaped from the painting; isn't it good to help each other?"

Qin Jin shook his head decisively:

"You've got it wrong. I didn't come from any of your seven paintings."

"What?" Qingyin's composure was shattered for the first time, revealing genuine astonishment:

"You're not him? But your aura... it's the same as what I felt back then..." She looked Qin Jin up and down, her eyes filled with doubt. "Could it be... I sensed something wrong?"

"I have my own background, which is none of your business."

Qin Jin's tone turned cold:

"Los Angeles is not your safe haven. Staying here will only bring more trouble. I advise you to find somewhere else."

Qingyin remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly digesting the information that Qin Jin was not a demon in the painting, and also weighing the pros and cons.

Suddenly, she smiled, a smile that carried the cunning and a hint of roguishness characteristic of foxes:

"No, I've decided, I'll stay here." Ignoring Qin Jin's instantly cold expression, she said calmly:

"I will keep my promise and will not cause any more trouble. I will also tell you the news from the gods. However, if you are willing to help me when I am in danger, considering that we are both from the East, I can tell you something else..."

She suddenly gave a very mysterious smile:

"The question I just figured out—why was my perception wrong!"

Qin Jin's eyes narrowed; his intuition told him that what Qingyin was about to say seemed very important...

After a moment's hesitation, he finally nodded: "Go ahead."

Qingyin must have guessed Qin Jin's reaction, so she said directly:

"One of the seven seals is a huge black coffin, emanating an aura remarkably similar to yours! I originally thought it contained you, but now it seems..." She looked at Qin Jin meaningfully:

"Since it's not you, then this aura originates from the same source as yours. I suspect that what's sealed inside is most likely the person who turned you into a zombie—Jiang Chen!"

Qin Jin's heart skipped a beat!